April 2010 – Monthly Roundup

New total 7100!!

Clare & Fiona (Boudiche) have a lot to answer for! I’m so grateful to Clare, Fiona and the girls for supporting Smalls in the quest to gather as many undies as possible. However, what I didn’t expect was the interest their campaign would generate. As soon as their PR team put notice out, the Daily Record picked the story up and asked if they could do a short interview with me as they were hoping to run a story. Was very nervous but thought I did okay until they asked if they could send someone along to take my picture. Now those of you that know me, know this is where I say “I don’t do photos” but it didn’t wash so I was left at 12.30pm wondering how I was going to lose weight (2 stone) by 5pm. Got my head into the place of “just get on with it, its only a photo” and they can do wonderful things these days (airbrushing?).

The photographer was great and tried to put me at ease, I did explain I wasn’t great at getting my photo taken and told her the story of my wedding day when the photographer was reduced to making noises to make me smile / laugh, the most memorable being pretending he was a duck (quack quack). Think she thought I was joking. However, 40 minutes later, 78 pictures taken and several “quack quacks” later we were done. She did comment “I can’t believe I am doing this”. The result is a 2 page spread in the Daily Record today, with not one but 3 flippin photos!

There has also been an interview with Fiona on “Informed Women” and small articles in the Evening News and The Sun. Michelle, Anne and I went along in the knicker mobile last Thursday to collect 2 big bags of undies – THANKS BOUDICHE. If you want to follow their progress check the pantometer on the Boudiche website.

Thanks also to Jo for holding her “swishing” party, it was a great night and I came away with 207 pairs of knickers.

I’m looking at holding a gala charity ball on 23rd October so keep this night free if you can. I’ve already been told I’m not allowed to wear my jeans and boots / trainers…

CHARITY

Sound like a parrot but “work in progress”

ETHIOPIA

Still no news 🙂

KENYA

Well the plan is I fly to Heathrow on Friday morning and then out to Nairobi on Friday night but as you know with that wee problem we are having with ash, I’m not really that confident that I’ll be going. Have 2250 knickers packed and ready to go but my plan is really flimsy even by my standards and I don’t really have a contingency plan! I’ll post an update to say whether or not I’ve gone on Friday.

ZIMBABWE

As you know we are supporting the “Dignity Restored” campaign for Zimbabwe and I’m hoping to collect as many ladies undies as possible. Thought it would be useful for you to see an extract from a report Shirley sent to me on the work that was carried out in March of this year. As you can see they distribute underwear but also educate the girls about HIV/AIDS. This is why I want to collect football strips as they hold football tournaments to engage and educate young people.

“The Campaign was led by the PYP Zimbabwe coordinator Mrs.Chibwe and trustee Ms Mkoba and PYP volunteers. They visited girls living in four rural locations in the Midlands and Manicaland provinces. The team managed to reach out to over a 250 young girls who received a year’s supply of sanitary products and underwear and carried out sexual and reproductive health talks with each group of girls. This ensures that the girls do not resort to unhygienic alternatives which could lead to health problems.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Education in these areas is hampered mainly by the lack to access to information, services and poverty amongst other problems. 83% of the girls we reached out to have been out of school for the last 2-3 years due to lack of funds. Many girls have gone and gotten married before reaching 16. This has resulted in a very high level of maternal mortality, transmission of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS, unsafe abortions as well as sexual violence and forced marriages. An extreme case being that of a lady who reported to have gotten married at 12, she is now 19 years old with three children.

Many villagers interviewed said they knew about HIV/AIDS mainly through family and friends but had never had proper education about sexual reproductive health and prevention methods. Many of the children living in the villages visited were orphaned and living with grandparents or siblings. Several child-headed households where identified. There is a need to empower young girls who are past school going ages through vocational training so that they do not resort to early marriages as a way of escaping their problems. Young girls also need sexual reproductive health and rights education in order as a way of empowering them when it comes to issues pertaining sex. PYP volunteers also raised the need to train peer educators among youth in each village”

CAN YOU HELP?

Do you know, or know of anyone that has unwanted football strips? Need shorts and tops for 10-25 year olds. These will be sent to Gweru, Zimbabwe.